Half of Malaysians Believe Country is Heading in Wrong Direction: Survey Reveals Sigh of Discontent

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - A recent survey conducted by Merdeka Centre has revealed that half of Malaysian respondents believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, with 47% expressing economic concerns as a major issue.

The survey, which involved over 1,200 respondents nationwide and was conducted from November 27 to December 10, found that economic stability top of mind for many Malaysians. The majority of respondents (53%) stated that they believed the country's direction has been negatively impacted in some way, while 39% believed it has improved.

When it comes to specific issues affecting the nation, economic concerns were the most prevalent concern voiced by respondents, with 65% ranking issues like inflation and unemployment as top five issues. Racial inequality, poor governance, and corruption also made headlines among the most pressing problems stated by participants in the survey.

Interestingly, despite the expressed dissatisfaction towards Malaysia's overall administration, Malaysians remain largely confident in their Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's leadership. Over 54% of respondents stated they were satisfied with his performance as PM while the majority was also in support when it came to improving ethnic relations and maintaining public confidence.

Malaysia's government initiatives, such as generating economic growth, reducing cost of living, and increasing foreign investment, garnered both satisfaction and dissatisfaction in equal numbers. Respondents have shown higher confidence in Prime Minister Anwar's ability to attract investors while his efforts on corruption remain dissatisfying

A clear sign of Malaysian discontent stems from issues concerning economic prospects, political stability, governance efficiency among which the costs for living were amongst the  top five.